NFL Coaching Cull Continues As Cincinnati Bengals, Marvin Lewis Part Ways

It always seems that Cincinnati Bengals’ head coach Marvin Lewis does just enough to keep his job. Or at least it did. Lewis’ run with Cincinnati has come to an end after sixteen seasons. The franchise still thinks enough of him that they’re going with the ‘parting ways due to mutual agreement’ which is the more genteel explanation of why the previous head coach is no longer employed. Lewis had one year remaining on a contract extension that he signed last season. He had been the second longest serving active head coach in the NFL behind New England Patriots’ icon Bill Belichick.

Lewis did a lot of things right to be sure. He leaves with the most wins by a coach in franchise history compiling a 131-122-3 record. The problem eventually became what he didn’t do. He didn’t beat the Steelers for one thing. At least not often enough as an 8-26 record against Pittsburgh will attest. More problematic, he didn’t do much in the postseason and his career playoff record of 0-7 just isn’t acceptable for any franchise. Cincinnati has had plenty of talented teams and players over the past sixteen years but Lewis’ playoff ineffectiveness was likely his eventual undoing.

It definitely wasn’t a problem with Lewis’ attitude or personality. He’s considered one of the real class acts in the NFL and that was evident in his statement to the media announcing his departure:

“I didn’t deliver what the No. 1 goal is, and that’s to be world champions, and we did not get that done. A lot of positives, but that’s the one goal as a coach you look forward to doing. [Bengals president] Mike [Brown] and I both decided it’s time. I think it’s a tough moment for both of us, but we both realized.”

For his part, owner Mike Brown hit all of the right notes in his statement:

“The team is very appreciative of all that Marvin has accomplished over the past 16 years. Personally, I am very fond of Marvin and will miss working with him. He is a friend and a colleague, and I thank him for what he has meant to this franchise. But it is time to turn the page and look toward the next chapter for our organization, and we are excited about what the future holds for the team and our fans.”

The Bengals under Lewis had a nice run of success during the early part of the decade after only one winning season during the first six years of his tenure. Cincinnati went 10-6 and won the AFC North in 2009 which began a run of six winning seasons in seven years. During that stretch, they won the AFC North twice—in 2013 when the team went 11-5 and in 2015 with a record of12-4. Since 2015, the team has limped through several forgettable seasons going 6-9-1 in 2016, 7-9 in 2017 and 6-10 this season. Another problem—for some reason he really lost the fanbase and Bengals’ attendance really nosedived this season which definitely had some correlation with the team’s decision to bring back Lewis as head coach.

On his way out the door, Lewis made a case for his friend Hue Jackson to replace him as head coach. Jackson served as a special assistant to the team this year after his dismissal from the Cleveland Browns:

“I think he’s more than qualified. I think he’s been in a couple of difficult situations [in Oakland and Cleveland], and that’s tough, and it hasn’t broke his way. But I think he’s an excellent football coach, he’s a great motivator. So I think he deserves an opportunity, if not here, somewhere else.”

Working against Jackson is his 3-36-1 record at the helm of the Cleveland Browns. A bigger issue might be the ‘before and after’ performance of his former team. The Browns opened the season 2-5-1 under Jackson. Once the team fired Jackson and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels there was a complete turnaround with Cleveland going 5-3 the rest of the way including five wins in their last seven games.